TR2/3/3A TR3B Tire sizes?

[DonP]

I did a quick search and couldn't find anything about the best current tire sizes for my TR3B.

I have the original steel disc wheels on it now (4 1/2"?) and one of these days I'll probably upgrade to wires.

But for now I'm looking for a decent radial and tubes for road trips, nothing terribly aggressive, but good holding power in the dry and wet.

I'm upgrading to an Overdrive Tranny and picked up a good factory steel hardtop that's in for refinishing now, so with a little sound insulation it should be a pretty nice highway cruiser.

As always, any and all help is appreciated.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Don -

When I had my '57 TR3, I put Vredestein Sprint Classics on it (165/15, but I think you can get 155s if you need them). Great tires, and I believe you can still get them. May have to look online for them.

Mickey

 

[TFB]

Don -

When I had my '57 TR3, I put Vredestein Sprint Classics on it (165/15, but I think you can get 155s if you need them). Great tires, and I believe you can still get them. May have to look online for them.

Mickey

I also went with those tires,on my steel wheels and really like them.Spare has to have about 10psi to fit in compartment on post 60k body.No tubes required.
Tom

 

[Geo Hahn]

Yeah, not sure why you're thinking tubes with steel wheels - not needed, one more thing to go wrong and they also lower the speed rating of the tire.

I think I've tried almost every brand through the years, mainly because each time I buy a set the manufacturer stops making our size. My latest set are Vredestein Sprint Classics in 165/15 from Summit Racing. I think these actually come from Coker no matter who you buy them from. Great tire.

I run both steel wheels and wires from time to time by using a 1/4" spacer behind the wire wheel hub.

Good move on getting an OD -- really nice for long highway cruises and mountain grades (where 3.5 gear is often the perfect choice).

 

[Kleykamp]

For an inexpensive tire there is the Nankang 165/15. I drive my car and have had good experience with them. The only problem I have is that the side wall is a little "busy" with print for a real original look. They can be bought on ebay and have free shipping. Just bought an additional one for the spare last month. It does fit tight in the spare well but does fit. I think Tom may have meant on a pre 60K car it requires letting air out...but I've heard several answers about fitting in the spare. I use tubes because I have wire wheels. I liked the $53 price vs twice or three times that.

 

[DornTRoriginal]

My thoughts are that the 165 x 15 is a bit too narrow and a "bigger" tire looks better on the car. I have been looking into 175/60-15 (Dunlop $114.99 ea Tire Buyer) and 185/60 -15 (Dunlop Signature II $72.98 ea or $292. for all 4 Tire Buyer). I'm guessing a bigger tire throws off the MPH and Mileage readings but I'm not sure that's a big deal, it's not to me. I would want a good soft riding tire since most of my driving is going to be local or day trips.

I also have a question about refurbishing the steel rims. Is there anything special about how that is done or is that just a matter of a BFH and some blacksmithing work? There's a local shop that does the wheel restoration, it's $115 per tire rim painted Then there's the painting vs. powder coating question on the steel wheels? Saw a car this weekend that had deep silver powder coated steel wheels and they looked pretty sharp! It's $75 per rim to powder coat in silver.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Don't know that a 175 would be safe on standard rims. How wide are yours?

 

[Geo Hahn]

Don't know that a 175 would be safe on standard rims. How wide are yours?

I have seen much wider tires on the stock rims - seemed to work out okay but the tires looked like the car that Mickey Mouse used to drive.

 

[charleyf]

A friend with a TR3 complained about his original steel wheels being out of round enough that he noticed it while driving. He sent them to a place in Sacramento to get them straightened at the cost of about $100 per wheel. He remounted the tires and found that the wheels were NO BETTER than before. He bought a set of Panasports and now has round wheels.

The wheels on my previous TR3 when rolled across the smooth garage floor ( without tires) would wobble all over the floor. At that point I switched to a new set of wire wheels. My two TR4s run Panasports because the steel wheels that I got on them were like the ones on the TR3.
Charley

 

[Andrew Mace]

I have seen much wider tires on the stock rims - seemed to work out okay but the tires looked like the car that Mickey Mouse used to drive.

Assuming that, through some miracle, you actually HAVE four straight, undamaged original steel wheels, the "facts" are: 1. I 175/70R15 is about THE widest I'd dare fit on a 4.5" rim. 2. These rims are over 50 years old, so I'm not sure I want to try overly aggressive rubber on them. For that matter, the rest of the car is also over 50 years old. Wide, sticky rubber can tax everything far beyond what was "designed in" back around 1952-62, so....

 

[glemon]

When I bought my TR4A many years ago someone had stuck some big wide rubber on it, may have even been 195s, at least 185s, a few years later I got some Dunlop 165/80 radials (back when you could get them at the local tire store in a brand that looked appropriate on a british car). The car felt so much better, the steering and handling seemed lighter and more sporty, while ultimate cornering grip may have suffered it felt as though it handled much better, drifting and tossable rather than leaning on the bump stops and a little unstable. In stock form (the car) a modern 165 radial has all the grip and more the old bias plys they were fit with back in the day had, I think the cars feel and function better, more sporty if you will, on skinny tires.

That being said I have 205s on my TR250, but I autocross it and the suspension is modified a bit, so do as I say not as I do....:wink: